1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera, image pickup method, and a storage medium storing program code, capable of recording speech together with a still image at the time of taking the still image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a digital camera capable of storing speech data together with a still image at the time of taking the still image, and recording image data of the obtained still image and the speech data in association with each other as a single data file, is known.
In the camera of this type, storage of the speech is started at a photographing timing of the still image caused by a shutter key operation as a trigger, and the storage of the speech is stopped at the time when the shutter key is operated again or a maximum limit time (for example, 10 [seconds]) elapses, and the obtained speech data are recorded in association with the image data of the still image under standards of DCF (Design rule for Camera File system).
In addition, a technique of not starting the storage at the photographing timing of the still image as stated above, but, while preliminarily updating the speech data in a buffer memory, continuing the storage and recording the speech data for a certain period before and after the photographing timing of the still image has been conceived (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications No. 2004-297177, No. 2006-310978, and No. 2000-78516).
According to prior art including this document, the timing of obtaining the speech data is constantly determined based on the photographing timing of an associated still image, i.e., the timing of pressing a shutter button. However, an optimum photographing timing of the still image does not always correspond to an optimum timing of obtaining the speech corresponding to the still image. At actual photographing, a part of speech considered necessary may be interrupted or the recording timing may be delayed.
Under the circumstances, it is desired to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of, upon taking a still image with speech, appropriately controlling a start timing and an end timing of obtaining the speech, not only based on the photographing timing of the still image, but also according to a situation.